The Testing

The Testing

• Genre: Fiction; young adult dystopian
• Originally Published: 2013
• Reading Level/Interest: Lexile 830L; grades 7-10
• Structure/Length: 22 chapters; approx. 352 pages; approx. 11 hours on audio
• Protagonist and Central Conflict: In a postapocalyptic United States, 16-year-old Cia is selected to participate in The Testing, a top-secret ordeal that many people do not survive. She and her friend Tomas make it to the final test, in which they must navigate a treacherous course through what remains of Chicago.
• Potential Sensitivity Issues: Violence, death, suicide

Joelle Charbonneau, Author

• Bio: Born in 1974; holds a bachelor’s degree in vocal performance and a master’s degree in opera performance; has performed in opera and musical theater in the Chicago area; was inspired to write The Testing after observing the pressure her voice students faced in high school; besides The Testing trilogy, has written the Rebecca Robbins mysteries, the Glee Club mysteries, and other books
• Other Works: Independent Study (2014); Graduation Day (2014); Need (2015); Time Bomb (2018); Verify (2019); Disclose (2020)
• Awards: Agatha Award for Best Children’s/Young Adult Novel (nominee; 2013); Anthony Award for Best Children’s/Young Adult Novel (2014)

CENTRAL THEMES connected and noted throughout this Teaching Unit:

• The Environment, Its Destruction, and Human Dependence
• The Ends Justifying the Means
• Dystopia and Youth Resistance

STUDY OBJECTIVES: In accomplishing the components of this Unit, students will:

• Grow a deeper understanding about testing in society and make connections to this issue in the novel, which drives the central action and character development in The Testing.
• Study paired texts and other brief resources to make connections via the text’s themes of The Environment, Its Destruction, and Human Dependence; The Ends Justifying the Means; and Dystopia and Youth Resistance.
• Plan, design, and create written and other artifacts in Cia’s voice that emphasize the role memory plays in the novel.
• Analyze key characters and themes to draw conclusions in structured essay responses that include evidence and reasoning.